Type

White Wine

Appellation

Saumur

Variety

Chenin Blanc

The Yvonne Blanc was one of the 2 original cuvées produced at the domaine. Mathieu continued the same high quality work in the vineyard and cellar, but drastically reduced the amount of new oak used for elevage. While most fans of Saumur Blanc know about Brézé, Yvonne Blanc will likely be the first introduction to the whites of La Côte, the exceptional tuffeau terroir along the Loire river in Parnay.

Viticulture

Vineyard name

8 parcels in Parnay, Turquant et Montsoreau bordering the Loire, including Le Bourreau, Clos Coin, Les Devants, Chateau Gaillard, and La Vignole.

Soil type

Clay-limestone soils over tuffeau stones

Vine age5 years to over 80 years

Vineyard size2.5 ha

Vinification

3 hours of pressing, then settling for 1-2 days in tank. Fermentation on the lees in 225L barrels with native yeasts.

Elevage12 months in barrels (20% new), then assembled for 3 months in steel tanks “en masse” before bottling.

Harvest typeHand Harvested

Fining/FilteringUnfined and unfiltered

More about
the producer

Château Yvonne

Founded in 1997

13 hectares

Located in Parnay, Château Yvonne has been surrounded by vineyards since the Middle Ages, when the monks at the Abbaye de Fontevraud brought their influence to the region. The château dates to the 16th century, but not much became known of it until 1813, when a local winemaker moved in and began producing wine on site. In 1997, Yvonne and Jean-François Lamunière decided to recreate the abandoned vineyard with the help of Françoise Foucault. In 2007, Mathieu Vallée took over and decided to keep the name Château Yvonne, in homage of the incredible work done by the previous owners. Today, the domaine is one of the best producers in Saumur. The estate is composed of 3 hectares of Chenin Blanc and 8 hectares of Cabernet Franc, all of which have been farmed organically since 1997.